Mayo Autism Support

The one thing I will always remember about the day I was first told my lovely Conor has Autism was that over whelming feeling of fear followed quickly by the absolute devastating feeling of being alone. Just under 5 years ago when Conor was first diagnosed I did not know one other person on the planet my age who had a child with special needs let alone Autism.

I couldn’t shake that feeling of panic, what could I do to help Conor, what were the best therapies, who could I ask for help. There were no support groups that I knew of at that time, they may have existed but I had no body to tell me about them. I was completely and utterly alone. Panic stricken, grief stricken alone.

Eventually as time went on I found my own way on our Special Needs journey and in recent years I have been so lucky to know and become friends with some truly amazing parents of children with Special Needs.

Since setting up The Little Puddins Blog I have been touched by the emails and messages of support from parents within the Special Needs Community. I realize how lucky I am to have a public platform to reach out in my own way to other parents of children with Special Needs.

Looking back on how I felt many years ago it is as if I am looking at some one else’s life, not my own surely. Baby Jack was recently diagnosed and although it still came as a shock and I am still coming to terms with all the news that a diagnosis brings I feel so lucky and so blessed this time around. As I am in a Special Needs Community this time, I do know so many Special Needs Parents and I have support.

On a local level here in Mayo I realized that there is a need for an Autism Specific Parent support group. I have found over the years that no matter who I talk to about the struggles we have as parents of two boys with Autism, the ones that can really support us are parents in the same situation.

I wanted to create a local platform for all parents of children with Autism in Mayo so they have someone to lean on when the tough times come and so Mayo Autism Support Association was born – MASA.

I have formed MASA today and there is a linked Facebook Group/ Facebook Page you can find links to the Group here and the Page here. It is newly formed so a lot of work has to be done to have it up and running properly. The first MASA parent coffee morning will be announced shortly. I will have information available here on my Blog and also on the MASA Group and Facebook Page.

As always thank you for stopping by my The Little Puddins Blog and helping to raise awareness for families living with Special Needs in Ireland today.x